Oct. , 2014
Six communities across Texas were awarded grants to help physicians and community organizations provide free and low-cost vaccinations to uninsured and underinsured Texans. The grants totaling more than $11,500 were provided by the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise — ImmunizeSM program.
TMA created the Be Wise — Immunize Local Impact Grants program in 2012 to ensure Texans who are uninsured or underinsured, or who face other obstacles, receive needed immunizations. Since then, 32 grants totaling more than $50,000 have been awarded.
Grants recently awarded are:
- Baylor Scott & White Avery Ranch Clinic in Austin received $1,670 to
provide free flu vaccinations to children and adults at a community health fair in November.
- Cuero Community Hospital received $1,999 to educate senior citizens in Cuero and
surrounding communities about the importance of being vaccinated against shingles, and to provide free vaccinations.
- Love to Share Foundation America in Brazoria County received $2,000 to provide free flu vaccinations to children and adults, and bacterial pneumonia vaccinations to senior citizens at the Life and Soul Health Fair in November.
- Pediatric Associates of Laredo received $2,000 to provide free flu vaccinations to local children and adults, and Tdap vaccinations to protect adults from tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) in collaboration with Texas A&M International University.
- TMA Chapter at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso received $1,889 to work with the Department of Public Health-City of El Paso to provide free vaccinations to children and adults in the Ysleta community.
- TMA Chapter at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston received $2,000 to provide free vaccinations to children and adolescents in the most impoverished areas in Harris County in collaboration with Harris Health System’s TroubleShooters immunization program.
TMA actively works to improve vaccination rates in Texas through its Be Wise — Immunize program. More than 260,000 shots have been given to Texas children, adolescents, and adults since the program began in 2004.
Be Wise — Immunize and the Local Impact Grants are funded by the TMA Foundation (TMAF), thanks to
generous support from H-E-B and TMF Health Quality Institute, and gifts from
physicians and their families.
“TMA Foundation and its donors are proud to support these efforts because immunizations prevent serious diseases and help us live a healthier life,” said G. Sealy Massingill, MD, Fort Worth, TMAF president.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 47,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. TMA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the association and raises funds to support the public health and science priority initiatives of TMA and the family of medicine.
Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association.
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Contact: Pam Udall
phone: (512) 370-1382
cell: (512) 413-6807
Brent Annear
phone: (512) 370-1381
cell: (512) 656-7320
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